* A 3-homer barrage earned Omaha the win over Round Rock. Ed Lucas went solo in the 2nd for his 4th of the season but Round Rock scored runs in the 2nd and 3rd off Luis Mendoza to take a 2-1 lead. Jai Miller turned it around with one swing as he ripped a 3-run homer (his 8th) in the 4th to make it 4-2. Scott Thorman hit his 11th homer for a solo shot in the 6th and Round Rock got a run back in the bottom of the inning. Edwin Bellorin singled in a run for only his 3rd RBI of the season in the 7th and Greg Holland took it from there with 3 perfect innings of relief to finish it. SP Polin Trinidad took the loss for Round Rock with 6 runs (3 ER) over 7 IP to drop to 3-6. 2B Oswaldo Navarro had 2 hits for the Express. Omaha is 38-31 and a game up on first. A 4-game set with the divisional rival Iowa Cubs (38-33) starts tomorrow with Gaby Hernandez taking the hill.

* Aaron Crow can thank the Naturals' bats for bailing him out of another subpar performance Monday. For some reason I'm really perturbed about Crow. It's not just that Grant Green is hitting .320 with an .837 OPS (keep in mind in the moon-like California League, and he has 20 BB/62 K in 281 ABs), it's just Crow's the one big prospect not pulling his weight right now in the organization. I'm starting to wonder if there's arm trouble we don't know about. I am trying to stay positive that wonder doesn't turn to hope. Crow allowed runs in each of the first 3 innings as Tulsa jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 1st but NWA answered with 3 runs on a Johnny Giavotella sac fly, a Nick Van Stratten RBI double and Paulo Orlando RBI single. Crow served up a 3-run homer in the 2nd and gave up 2 runs in the 3rd as the Drillers made it 6-3. An Ernesto Mejia RBI double in the 3rd was followed by a Paulo Orlando RBI triple, an Anthony Seratelli RBI groundout and Chris McConnell RBI single as NWA took a 7-6 lead. Manny Pina went solo for an insurance run in the 8th for his 5th homer of the season as he returned from the shelf. NWA rocked Keith Weiser for 7 ER over 3 IP to drop him to 5-5. 3B Matt Repec had 3 hits and DH Scott Beerer had 2 hits. CF Charles Blackmon continued to hurt the Naturals with his 3rd homer and 3 RBI (12). NWA is 41-28. C Ben Theriot was sent down to make room for Pina. The first half ends tomorrow, I think.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: all-star break

* Jamie Romak was named the CL Player of the Week Monday after hitting .391 with 2 HR and 7 RBI over the week. The all-star game is tomorrow in Myrtle Beach.

* Orem nicked each Chukar pitcher in taking the season opener. Greg Billo gave up a run on 2 hits in the 2nd but a Yowill Espinal RBI groundout in the 3rd tied the game. Orem regained the lead in the 4th and got a solo homer in the 5th to make it 3-1. Eric Cantrell gave up 2 runs in his 1st pro IP and Jake Kuebler hit an RBI double in the 8th for IF. Matt Morizio made his pitching debut in the 8th but allowed 3 unearned runs thanks in part to a Kuebler error. Lane Adams added an RBI single in the 9th before the Chukars succumbed. Orem SP Pil Joon Jang allowed an unearned run over 6 IP. 1B Nick Farnsworth had 3 hits for the Owlz while 2 others had 2 hits. Idaho Falls is 0-1.

* The AZL roster includes several players to watch this season. 17-yr-old 3B Cheslor Cuthbert makes his American debut after being one of the team's bigger international signings in recent years. C Jin-Ho Shin is also on the roster as the 18-year-old Korean makes his U.S. debut as well. OF Jerico Blanco is also on the AZL roster after a ho-hum debut in the DSL in 2009. Other position players on the roster are Cs Rainier Bello, Alexander Marquez and Henry Moreno; IFs 2010 draftee Michael Liberto, Daniel Mateo, Jose Rodriguez and Victor Soto; and OFs Geulin Beltre, Ysmelin Alcantara, Juan Polonia, 2010 draftees Cameron Conner and Darian Sandford, and Jarrod Dyson, who must be working his way back into shape. The pitching staff includes a bevy of NDFAs and international guys. 19-year-old South African P Dylan Lindsay makes his U.S. debut and is the youngest on the staff. The only 2010 draftee on the staff is 15th rounder Jason Mitchell. Monday's season debut was pretty underwhelming all around. Jonathan Rodriguez scattered 6 runs over 4 separate Pads rallies and Shin and Cuthbert both made errors in their debuts. Geulin Beltre hit an RBI double in the 7th and Henry Moreno hit an RBI single for the Royals to provide their runs. Eric Diaz and NDFA Tyler Gatrell allowed 3 runs in the 8th as the Padres pulled away. Shin did come through with an RBI double to score Cuthbert in the 9th.